Creamy Penne-al-Baffo

Ingredients

• 1 cup passata or blended plum tomatoes
• 1 Medium Onion
• Parsley, how much do you want to garnish with?
• 8 oz deli ham (I swap hot italian sausage)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Penne pasta (De Cecco man!)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons of kosher salt per gallon of water) to boil.  Cube 8 ounces of sliced deli ham and dice one medium-sized onion.  Mince 3 tablespoons of parsley and set aside.  Note: Feel free to use leftover cooked ham cut into small cubes.
2. Heat a large pan to medium heat and saute the onions in 2 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until soft (about 3 minutes).
3. Add the ham and cook for about 2 minutes longer.  By this point, your pasta water should be boiling and you can begin to cook 1 pound of penne pasta to 1 minute less than al dente.
4. Add 1 cup of passata, or blended plum tomatoes, to the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer.
5. After 5 minutes, add 1 cup of heavy cream and mix to combine.
6. Continue to allow the sauce to simmer while stirring occasionally.
7. When the pasta is 1 minute less than al dente, add it to the sauce and mix well or toss to ensure all the pasta is coated.  Be sure to reserve some pasta water. Cook just until the pasta reaches just al dente.  If it is at all dry, add some reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the parsley. Give it a taste test and make any adjustments to salt or pepper as needed.  If desired you can add some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or serve the pasta al baffo as is with cheese on the side at the table.  Enjoy!

Notes

From SipAndFeast